long time, no blogging!

hello fellow foodie friends!

I've been bad... and meaning to post something for months. Life gets in the way sometimes and it can be easy to forget to do simple things like... blog, brush your teeth, etc. But here's the deal....

I've been posting a lot of things to my weight loss coaching page on Facebook. if you want to continue to follow my health tips, recipes, etc. please keep an eye on my Better Together page.

You can find it here:
https://www.facebook.com/BetterTogetherWeightLossCoaching

the BEST Veggie Fried Rice

After numerous failed attempts at making a good fried rice that isn't soggy I think I finally hit the jackpot. Now of course you can change around all the ingredients and add more vegetables or chicken, pork, fake meat, etc. But here is what I made mine with:

VEGGIE FRIED RICE

2 1/2 cups cooked, cold, brown basmati rice (all I had on hand!)

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1/3 c. frozen peas

1/4 c. diced yellow onion

1 medium celery stalk, diced

2 medium carrot sticks, peeled and diced

1/4 c. diced green pepper

1/4 c. diced orange pepper

1/2 c. diced red pepper

1 c. broccoli florets

4 oz. mushrooms, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 egg

2 egg whites

2 tbsp. water

1/4 c. chicken broth (you may omit)

1 tbsp. ground ginger 

2 tbsp. soy sauce

black pepper to taste

Alright, here's what you do! Cook whatever rice you decide to use and stick it in the fridge for several hours.  Next up, scramble your egg, egg whites and 2 tbsp. water and cook in a non stick skillet using cooking spray. Remove from pan and set aside. 

Wipe out your skillet (you'll need a pretty good sized one) and heat 1/2 tbsp. oil, add in garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Add in all your vegetables except mushrooms and saute for 2-3 minutes. Next add in your chicken (or veggie broth) if you wish, however, I think it may have made the rice even drier had I skipped this step. Add in your ginger and soy sauce. Saute for another minute or two and remove from pan. 

Turn heat up to medium high and add remaining 1/2 tbsp. of oil. Add cold rice to pan and season with black pepper. Using a rubber spatula continue to flip rice around to dry it out a bit more and give it that "fried" color and texture. After several minutes of heating it through add the egg back in and saute for another minute. Lastly, add all your cooked veggies back in and warm through. 

Makes about 7 - 1 cup servings - 140 calories, 3g fat, 6g protein, 23g carbs, 3g fiber per cup.

Gluten Free Super Veggie Alfredo "Pasta"

I've been struggling with stomach issues for years now and even though I have been tested for a gluten allergy (and it came back negative) I'm giving 2-3 weeks without gluten to see if it fixes my issues. Soooo... what better way to embrace a new dietary change than trying new recipes!?

This makes the second time I've tried these shiratake noodles. The first time was the Tofu Shiratake by House Foods and this batch was Nasoya Shiratake. They both worked fine in the dishes I tried. These noodles may be my new favorite thing. Even better? They are only 20 calories per serving - and a whole package is only 40 calories! 

But I will warn you... if you are AT ALL sensitive to smells turning you off from eating/cooking etc. ... then don't bother. These noodles have a scent that is certainly off-putting... BUT... all you have to do is rinse them, several times in cold water, and heat them a little in a non-stick skillet. The smell comes from the calcium hydroxide they are packed in. The first time I used them I thought I got a bad batch! But it will tell you on the packaging to rinse them. 

Tonight's dish.... Gluten Free (did I mention these are gluten free!?) Super Veggie Alfredo Pasta!

You'll need these things:

1 package of rinsed shiratake noodles

2 small zucchini, julienned (or sliced)

6 white button mushrooms

3 cloves of garlic, sliced

1/2 red pepper, sliced in strips

1/2 yellow pepper, sliced in strips

1 1/2 c. broccoli florets

1 c. baby spinach

3/4 c. Alfredo sauce (90 calories or less per serving)

1/2 tbsp. olive oil

cracked black pepper

salt to taste

Rinse your noodles in a colander. Place a non-stick skillet on medium and heat noodles for a few minutes to dry them out. In a larger skillet heat oil and place in all vegetables except mushrooms and spinach. Cook vegetables until al dente and then add in mushrooms, spinach, noodles and sauce. Cook about five more minutes. Top with fresh ground black pepper and grated Parmesan.

Makes 2 servings - 240 calories each (yes, only 240!) 

Pinterest and Hungry Girl - You inspire me!

I've posted a few Pinterest and Hungry Girl recipes in here before and as usual... I adapted these too. I just can't follow a recipe exactly... it's a compulsion I have. :) I have to put my spin on it!

I found a recipe on Pinterest for Crock Pot Cinnamon Almonds and decided what better thing to do with the can of raw almonds I had in the cupboard! After all, I'm a sucker for those German roasted ones you can get at the fair or sometimes mall kiosks... but they are a) very expensive and b) packed with sugar.

Normally I'm big on substitutions - applesauce, pumpkin and banana for butter/sugar in recipes but I didn't think that would work in this case! I did however choose to use much less sugar than the recipe originally called for and use half baking Splenda and half granulated light brown sugar.

Here's what I did:

CINNAMON ALMONDS AND PECANS

1 1/2 c. raw whole almonds

1 c. raw pecan halves

1/2 c. baking Splenda

1/2 c. granulated brown sugar

1-2 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 egg white

1/4 c. water

In one bowl combine vanilla and egg and beat until frothy. In another bowl combine both sugars, cinnamon and salt, mix well. Stir the nuts into the egg mixture until well coated. Then add that bowl to the dry ingredients bowl, mix well. Spray your crock pot with a cooking spray to help prevent sticking because the mixture will be relatively dry. Cook on low for about 2 hours. The original recipe says to stir every 20 minutes or so, which I did, but I'm not sure with the smaller amount of sugar if that's really necessary, maybe more like every 30-40 but to be on the safe side just keep an eye on them. In the last 45 minutes add the water and stir well. Now when mine came out they were still a bit sticky and not as candy like as I expected - probably due to the lower sugar ratio. However, if you throw them in the oven on a baking sheet on 350 for about 15 minutes, stir and bake an additional 10 minutes they will crisp up. 

Makes about 12 - 1/4 cup servings - 185 calories each

Oh Hungry-Girl... you always have such good recipes - I save them all and it is my goal in 2013 to make more of them. 

This is exactly how her directions go... I just changed the frosting! 

CANDY CANE BROWNIES

(this is my photo - for my frosting)

1/16th of recipe: 156 calories, 3g fat, 278mg sodium, 31g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 18g sugars, 1.5g protein -- PointsPlus® value 4* 

Chocolate and candy canes go together like Santa and Mrs. Claus! (What's her first name, anyway?) Enjoy a brownie while you mull it over...

Ingredients: 

1/3 cup chocolate frosting 

1 sugar-free chocolate pudding snack with 60 calories or less (like the kind by Jell-O)

1 box moist-style devil’s food cake mix (15.25 - 18.25 oz.)

One 15-oz. can pure pumpkin

1/4 tsp. peppermint extract **( I omitted this because I don't keep it in my cupboard)

2 standard-sized candy canes or 8 mini candy canes 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9" X 13" baking pan with nonstick spray. 

In a medium bowl, mix frosting with pudding until smooth and uniform. Cover and refrigerate. 

In a large bowl, mix cake mix, pumpkin, and peppermint extract until smooth and uniform. (Batter will be thick.) (She's not kidding, the batter will be so thick your arms will be sore from stirring- I even added about 1/8 c. of water to aid in the stirring!)

Finely crush half of the candy canes, and stir into the batter. Spread batter into the baking pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18 - 20 minutes. 

Let cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours. 

Spread brownies with frosting mixture. Just before serving, roughly crush the remaining candy canes, and sprinkle over frosted brownies. Enjoy!

MAKES 16 SERVINGS

(this is the Hungry Girl's photo)

My Frosting:

1/3 cup whipped cream cheese frosting (the whipped frostings are less calories)

2 sugar free vanilla pudding cups (60 calories each)

1 crushed candy cane (stirred into the frosting - which will turn it pink and dissolve)**

topped with about 1/4 cup or so of mini chocolate chips***

**Next time I do not think I will stir them in. I think the nice candy crunch of the bits would add another nice texture to the brownies. I only tried it this way because I thought it would give it more flavor since it dissolved into the frosting!

*** Also, the calories for the mini chocolate chips are not accounted for in Hungry Girl's calculations since it was my addition. This will add about 15-20 calories per brownie making the total around 185 each. 

Potato Cauliflower Soup

I may have posted a similar recipe before... but I've decided this one is perfection. So I will share it, again.

Cauliflower works well to bulk up a soup or your mashed potatoes because it has such a neutral flavor, low calories and lots of great vitamins. I would consider adding pureed or mashed cauliflower to any soup to add a creamier texture!

MY FAVORITE POTATO CAULIFLOWER SOUP

1 bag of frozen cauliflower or one head of fresh cauliflower

5 small russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 c. light/low sodium chicken or vegetable stock

1 small sweet yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 c. unsweetened almond milk (you can use soy or skim as well)

5 oz. cooked spiral ham, pulled into small bits (or omit for you vegetarians!)

salt and black pepper to taste 

10 cups  - 95 calories per cup

In a soup pot over low-medium heat bring to boil broth and add in garlic, onion, potatoes and cauliflower. Let simmer, covered for about 20 minutes to allow all flavors to blend. Let cool 5-10 minutes and add by small batches into a blender - or if you're lucky enough to have a hand held immersion blender you can blend it in your pot. You can adjust here if you want it to be super smooth or a little chunky. Pour back into pot and add milk and ham. I usually make it without the meat but I had leftover ham from Christmas dinner. :) Let simmer for another 15 minutes or so until all flavors have melded into an amazing combination! 

Migas - Fit Foodie Style

One of my favorite restaurants in my hometown of Louisville, KY is the North End Cafe. They make the BEST pancakes ever! But if I'm in the mood for eggs I almost always go for the Migas.
Apparently Migas means crumbs in English and there are several different versions. The one at North End is 3 scrambled eggs, blue corn tortilla chips, jalapenos & cheddar cheese served with salsa and home fries. Here is my Fit Foodie version:

MIGAS

3 egg whites - scrambled

2 pieces center cut bacon (Vegetarians - omit or use veggie bacon)

2 tbsp. diced onion

2 tbsp. diced red pepper

2 tbsp. diced green pepper

2 tbsp. diced yellow pepper

1 broken up hard taco shell corn tortilla (or crushed tortilla chips totaling 55 calories)

1/2 oz. shredded Cabot Light Pepper Jack cheese (or any cheese totaling 35 calories)

4-5 pickled jalapeno rings

Cook your bacon and drain well. If you are using pork bacon leave a little bacon grease (just enough to coat the pan) and add peppers and onions. Cook until onions are translucent. Tear the bacon into chunks and add back into pan. Scramble 3 egg whites and season with salt and pepper. Add crushed tortilla and jalapeno to pan with bacon, peppers and onions. Cook for one minute. Add in eggs and scramble into mixture. When eggs are almost done add in shredded cheese, remove from heat and place a lid on to melt the cheese.

One hefty serving - 200 calories!

You may serve with salsa, guacamole or sour cream!

Sweet Potato Carrot Ginger Soup...

One of my very first entries when I started this blog (almost 2 years ago!) was this soup. Today I made it a little differently and I think it's my best batch yet. So I decided to re-share one of my most favorite recipes with you. I hope it warms your bellies!

SWEET POTATO CARROT GINGER SOUP

11 oz. sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 3 - 5" long)

10 oz. baby carrots (or whatever kind you have on hand, just make sure they are cut)

3 celery stalks, cut into large chunks

1/2 yellow or sweet onion, sliced

4-5 whole garlic cloves, peeled

5 discs of fresh ginger, peeled about 1/16" thick (grated works too - about 1 tbsp.)

4 1/2 cups of water 

2 vegetable bouillon cubes (or 4 1/2 cups of veggie stock and omit the water & bouillon)

2 tbsp. peanut butter (chunky or crunchy is fine)

2 tsp. cumin

1-2 tsp. parsley flakes

1-2 tsp. red pepper flake (depending how spicy you like it)

salt to taste

Now, here's the easy part. Take all the ingredients EXCEPT the peanut butter and throw it in a large pot:

Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 20 minutes until everything is cooked through. Remove from heat and let sit 20 minutes or so to cool down. You will need either a) blender or b) an immersion blender. If you have an immersion blender you can skip the cooling step. If you're tossing it in the blender you use to make Margaritas you might want to wait until it cools some. Blend the pieces in batches until smooth. Pour back into the soup pot. At this point if the soup is too cold reheat it before adding the final ingredient. 

Once it's warm enough add in your peanut butter, using a whisk to mix it in. This soup is hearty, spicy and a little Thai inspired. I find it best served with extra red pepper flakes and a little chopped peanut for texture. 

This batch makes 7 - 1 cup servings at 112 calories each!